Collapsible awning



NOV 27, 1951 w. c. NE SMITH 2,576,692

coLLAPsIBLE AwNING Filed Oct. 22, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENID', I3

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Inventor WILLIAM C. Ne SMITH Attorneys N ov. 27, 1951 w. c. NE SMITH COLLPSIBLE AWNING 3 sheets-sheet 5 Filed Oct. 22, 1946 "WIWI Invenor WILLIAM C. NeSMITH Attorneys Patented Nov. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE AW-NING William C. Ne Smith, Jacksonville, Fla.

Application Gctober 22, 1946., ,Serial No. 704,935

2 Claims. l

This invention has to do with awnings of the louver type. In that type lof awning la plurality of pivoted louvers having top and wing members are arranged to be extended to shade thewindow, door, or other opening which it is designed to protect, and collapsed in nested position l-so as to leave the vopening clear.

In awnings of this type it is necessary to maintain the individual louvers, when the awning is extended, in proper relation to one another so as to present a continuous awning area. In many awnings of the louver type this result has been accomplished by providing positive, interlocking stops of various forms on the louvers to engage adjacent louvers and prevent their separation when extended. Flexible ties to couple the louvers together when in extended position and prevent gapping 'have also been used. Such constructions complicate the construction and .adds to the cost.

The present invention has for its object to provide a construction in which such louver stopping or limiting devices are done away with, .and the louvers are so assembled and pivoted that the succeeding louvers engage one another with a frictional interlock when -extended and the vgroup is held in proper position for shielding the opemng.

Briey, this result is accomplished by providing each louver with an off-set pivot mounting, that is, oli-set from the longitudinal center of the louver Wings, so that when the louvers fall to extended position the top member of each louver will frictionally engage the top member of the adjacent outer louver and the entire group will be held in symmetrical, extended position, thus eliminating the need of any added louver stopping or holding devices.

In the drawings herewith one physical embodiment of the invention is shown, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing an opening, a window being used for illustra- 1tive purposes, with the awning in collapsed posiion.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the awning in extended position.

Figure 3 is a view in plan of a louver blank from which the top louver is formed.

Figure 4 is a view in plan of a louver blank from which an intermediate louver is formed.

Figure 5 is a view in plan of a blank from which the bottom louver is formed, and

Figure 6 is a View in side elevation of two louvers in side elevation to show the off-centered pivot mounting of the louvers.

Referring to the drawings by numbers, the same numbers designating the same parts in the several views, a conventional frame Il) is shown for a wall opening, here shown as a window opening. Supported on frame I0 are suitable means, such as plates II, having projecting members, here shown as pins I2, on which the louvers are pivotally mounted.

Louvers I3, in any appropriate or desired number, are mounted on pivot pins I2, all except the upper or outermost louver (see Figs. 1 and 3), such louvers being .sw-ingable on the pivots I2. The lupper louver has a member I4, preferably formed integral with the top member .of louver I3, which part I4 is disposed at right angles to the body portion of the louver and by which part I4 the louver is attached to the frame I0 so as to support the louver group. The wings I5 of this upper louver I3 are maintained in proper relation to the group by engaging at their lower ends the pins I2.

The wings .I5 of all of the louvers are bent at a right angle to the longitudinal center of the top member I 3 of the louver, as indicated at a-b, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, so as to give equal distances between all points at the lines of the bends and produce a symmetrical relation of the louvers to one another when assembled. The wings I5 of the louvers are tapered toward their ends and provided at those ends with holes I6 to engage the pivot pins I2 on which they swing. The disposition of the pivot holes I5 in the ends of the lower sides is of importance in that it determines the positions of the louvers in their extended positions. It is necessary that the bodyportions I3 of the succeeding louvers be placed in frictional holding contact when they are extended to their open positions, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, so as to maintain continuity of coverage. That frictional contact should, however, be kept at a minimum, consistent with proper maintenance of the assemblage, in order to utilize the covering areas of the top members I3 to the best advantage. This minimum contact area reduces, of course, the number of louvers needed to make up an awning. These minimum contacts between the body portions I3 of the succeeding louvers is accomplished by off-centering the holes I6 in the ends of the wings I5 of the louvers on the downside of the louver as shown in Figure 6. Preferably, this oit-centering is accomplished by forward projections I1 at the ends of the louver sides I5, in which projections the holes I5 are formed. As shown in Figure 6, holes I6 are forwardly offset relative to the longitudinal center of wing members I5. This moving of the holes center of the wings I5, the swing of each louveri is such as to ensure frictional engagement of the top members I 3 and positioning of the awning for proper covering of the opening to be protected. Obviously, by increasing or decreasing the extent of the lateral off-set of the projections I'I and their pivot holes I8 the area of frictional contact of the top members I3 of the louvers will be correspondingly changed. The use of the lateral projections I'I is advantageous in that it permits off-setting of the pivot holes I5 without unduly widening the wings I5 of the louvers to secure such off-setting of the pivot holes. In order to raise the awning a pull rope I8 passesover pulley I9 on the frame I0 at one side, and then over pulley 20 centrally of frame I0, the rope I8 having its end engaged with an opening 2I in a projecting portion 22 on the innermost louver. To pick up and collapse the group of louvers to nested position, the wings I5 ofthe innermost louver has lugs 23 symmetrically disposed at each side of its center, which lugs are bent at right angles to the body of the louverand of suflicient length to span the group of wings I5 of the other louvers. When the rope I8 is pulled the entire group of louvers will be picked up and nested, as shown in Fig. 1.

Constructed in accordance with the invention herein disclosed an awning is provided which will position and maintain its louvers in extended positions by frictional engagement of the top members of the louvers so as to interlock the entire group, and auxiliary stops and holding devices are done away with, thus simplifying louver structure as well as the assemblage and functioning of the group. Further, by providing the lower louver with the lifting lugs the collapse and 4 resting of the entire group is readily accomplished.

Iclaim:

1. An awning comprising a plurality of telescoping louvers, each louver being comprised of a horizontal top member and a pair of wing members extending downwardly from, and on opposite sides of, said top member, all of said Ymembers including a forward edge and a trailing edge the wing members on each side of the top members having forwardly extending projections provided adjacent the lower ends thereof, said projections having aligned transverse openings therethrough, pin means extending through said openings,v said openings being forwardly offset relative to the longitudinal center of the wing members, the trailing edge of each top member being slightly farther from the aligned openings than the forward edge of the adjacent outer top member whereby, when the louvers swing about said pin means to their extended positions, each top member frictionally engages the top member of the-adjacent outer louver to maintain the louvers'in their extended positions.

2. An awning as described in claim 1 wherein the wing members of the inner louver adjacent its top member have laterally etxending lugs arranged to engage the wing members of each of the remaining louvers when the awning is raised, and means are provided for raising said awning.

WILLIAM C. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 148,105 Barnes Mar. 3, 1874 288,207 Chandler Nov.'13, 1883 462,520 Wallace Nov. 3, 1891 1,433,458 Isaacson Oct. 24, 1922 1,648,334 Cloud Nov. 8, 1927 1,771,554 Bollheimer July 29, 1930 1,817,847 Richardson Aug. 4, 1931 2,378,139 Graham June 12, 1945 

